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Press Release

Consumers Union applauds final passage of cell phone unlocking bill

July 25, 2014

Friday, July 25, 2014

Consumers Union Applauds Final Passage of Cell Phone Unlocking Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives today passed the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act. The bill, approved by the Senate earlier this month, will restore the legal right of consumers to “unlock” their mobile phone and switch to another wireless company’s network when their contracts expire.

Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy division of Consumer Reports has been working with policymakers to find a fix for the “unlock” exemption to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that was eliminated by the Library of Congress, including testifying at a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing.

George Slover, senior policy counsel for Consumers Union, said, “This legislation is about giving consumers more choices and options for their phones. Restoring the option to unlock a phone gives consumers the ability to pick another wireless service without having to give up a perfectly good, working phone for a new one. This legislation can help consumers save some money, and it can help drive competition in both mobile phone technology and wireless service. We applaud leaders in both the House and the Senate for their work on this issue.”